European settlement of the Gosford district began in the early 1820s with access from the Brisbane Water in the east and Mangrove Creek in the west. Most of the development subsequently occurred in the eastern or coastal sector.

The main attractions of the Brisbane Water area were its proximity to Sydney and its wealth of timber resources. The shores of the waterways were occupied by small settlements whilst the timbered country on Erina and Narara Creeks was dominated by the gentry. Frederick Hely for instance, was Superintendent of Convicts in NSW and had several thousand hectares of land on Narara Creek. Hely called his property “Wyoming”. His grave, cottage and a farmyard building can still be seen there, beside the Pacific Highway.

On land between Erina and Narara Creeks, a government township was laid out in the 1830s. It was described as the Township at Point Frederick in honour of Frederick Hely whose death had occurred in 1836. But when the survey plan was sent to Governor Gipps for approval, it was returned with the notation “to be called Gosford”. Thus the township of Gosford received its name.

Other early townships in the Gosford District were at East Gosford, Kincumber and Blackwall (near Woy Woy) where the main shipbuilding yard was located. Shipbuilding was a very important industry in the early days together with shell gathering (for lime), small scale farming and of course timber-getting. Until the 1880s the district’s timber and other “produce” went to Sydney by water, since few land routes were available.

The coming of the railway in 1887 revolutionised access to the Gosford district and brought about major changes in land use, particularly in the eastern sector. It coincided with a leisure consciousness in the community and marked the beginning of tourism in the area.

Numerous land holdings were subdivided at this time both for model farms and holiday homes. Citrus growing was the main commercial operation of the model farms and developed into an important rural industry of the district.

For holiday makers at the turn of the century Woy Woy was the closest point to Sydney on the Great Northern Railway and proved a popular setting down point. It was only two hours from the metropolis and there was plenty of “fishing, bathing and shooting”. Boarding Houses were soon erected around Brisbane Water to accommodate those who wished to stay overnight, and a ferry service was introduced. By 1916 much of the land edging the waterway was subdivided into holiday villages or “resorts” for weekender type development. This kind of subdivision spread to the coastal beaches when bus services began.

Since the 1940s the greatest development in Gosford has been the growth of urbanisation in the eastern sector, brought about by improvements to the rail and road systems, an upsurge in secondary industries and State planning policies which see Gosford as part of an expanding Sydney region.

Although agricultural pursuits have diminished markedly in recent years, there is still a high percentage of holiday homes within the City and strong efforts are being made to preserve the “village atmosphere” of the early holiday resorts. Tourism remains an important industry.